Library of Congress Letter from Gardiner Greene Hubbard to Alexander Graham Bell, February 28, 1877, with transcript L. 1877 Telephone Washington, 711 — 14th St. Feb. 28. Proposed arrangement with John Ponton G. G. H. to Mr. Bell: — I have received a letter from Mr. Ponton — which I enclose herewith — and have replied to him that we were all ready to enter into negotiations with the first party who were ready to furnish the where with all. That we would start with him provided he would furnish the funds necessary to construct an experimental line, solely for your use; with no other wire upon the poles, and furnish funds sufficient to pay you a salary of say, from three to five thousand dollars a year for two years, and also, to pay the other necessary expenses. The more I know of this Mr. Ponton, through his letters, the better I am pleased with him, and I think the ready money of his friends in the bank is worth much more than all the great names of Gov. Howard. I have not heard from you for sometime, and I have no knowledge, 2 can articulate sound be and heard distinctly under usual circumstances? G. H. H. to Mr. Bell: — edge, therefore of the exact position of your experiments. I should be glad to know if the telephone is yet ready to be put upon a line, that is, if articulate sound can be transmitted and heard distinctly under usual circumstances, if so, I should be much obliged if you could send on two instruments that I may show them to Mr. Ponton when he comes on, and in return I will forward the four which we now have. I wrote to Mr. Watson last week, and to you the week before, saying I thought it would be a good plan for you to try your telephone upon Mr. Do n w ner's line — of the firm of Stone & Do n w ner — and have heard nothing from either of you since. Letter from Gardiner Greene Hubbard to Alexander Graham Bell, February 28, 1877, with transcript http://www.loc.gov/resource/ magbell.07900410 Library of Congress I was sorry that I could not meet you in New York on Friday. After the 4th of March I shall have more leisure and can then easily meet you at New York, if desired. Letter from Gardiner Greene Hubbard to Alexander Graham Bell, February 28, 1877, with transcript http://www.loc.gov/resource/ magbell.07900410.